City Council
Mon, August 4, 2025
City Council & Planning Commission Joint Session — August 4, 2025
This was a lengthy regular City Council meeting that also included a special joint session with the Planning Commission and ran past midnight. Key business included design feedback on the new Public Safety Facility, significant changes to mobile home park rent stabilization, and support for an affordable housing project near the North McDowell SMART station.
Joint Workshop: Public Safety Facility Design Concepts (Item 1)
City Manager Peggy Flynn introduced a staff presentation on design concepts and site development for the Petaluma Public Safety Facility Project. Both the full City Council and all six Planning Commissioners were present for this workshop. Mayor McDonnell and Planning Commission Chair Jessica Mozes co-led the question process.
Fifteen members of the public spoke, including Luke Maselli, John Hanania, Katherine Wells, Mary Brusco, Kevin Foster, Rick Faith, Mac Thompson, Reid Daut, Tom Siragusa, Rebecca Carpenter, Jeff Veliquette, Carlos Flores, Kathleen Funke-Spicher, Tim Porteous, Chantal Rogers, Stephanie Sanchez, and Paul Francis. The minutes do not detail the substance of individual comments or the specific design feedback provided by the Council and Commission. As a workshop, no binding vote was taken; the purpose was to gather feedback to guide the project's design development.
After the workshop, Planning Commissioners left the dais and the regular Council meeting resumed.
Consent Calendar (Items 2–5, 7–9)
The following items were approved without discussion in a single 7-0 vote (moved by Councilmember Cader Thompson, seconded by Vice Mayor Nau):
Vote: Carried 7-0
Synthetic Turf Purchase for Lucchesi Park (Item 6)
Councilmember DeCarli pulled this item from the consent calendar for separate discussion. The resolution authorized purchasing synthetic turf materials from FieldTurf USA, Inc. through the state CMAS program for the Lucchesi Turf Field Replacement Project at a cost of $722,848. The minutes do not detail the concerns raised during discussion, but the item passed on a divided vote — suggesting some disagreement, possibly related to environmental or cost concerns about synthetic turf.
Vote: Carried 5-2 (moved by Councilmember Cader Thompson, seconded by Councilmember Quint)
*No:* Councilmember DeCarli, Vice Mayor Nau
Mobile Home Park Rent Stabilization Amendments (Item 10)
City Attorney Eric Danly presented amendments to Chapter 6.50 of the Petaluma Municipal Code, which governs the Mobilehome Park Space Rent Stabilization Program. This item drew the largest public response of the evening, with approximately 30 speakers including mobile home park residents, tenant advocates, and other community members. Notably, Jodi Johnson received ceded time from two other speakers. Other commenters included Janis Barker, Kay Poland, Jennifer Boyle, Tim Porteous, Katherine Bobrowski, Jorge Arango, Jackie Elward, Angeles Cruz, Hannah Stewart, Daniel Gonzalez, Daniel Hernandez, Rufino Cortes, Zita Ramírez, Diana Kingsbury, Sandra Shand, Laura Bennett, and others. The meeting ran so late that the Council voted unanimously to continue past 11:00 p.m.
The Council ultimately adopted both an urgency ordinance (taking immediate effect) and introduced a regular ordinance (first reading, requiring a second reading to take full effect) to amend the rent stabilization program. The urgency designation means the changes go into force right away rather than waiting for the normal 30-day ordinance process. The specific substantive changes to the rent stabilization formula or caps are not detailed in the minutes.
Vote on Urgency Ordinance No. 2908 N.C.S.: Carried 7-0 (moved by Councilmember Barnacle, seconded by Councilmember Cader Thompson)
Vote on Introduction of Ordinance No. 2909 N.C.S.: Carried 7-0 (moved by Councilmember Cader Thompson, seconded by Vice Mayor Nau)
Annual Military Equipment Use Report & Policy Renewal (Item 11)
Deputy Police Chief Nicholas McGowan and Lieutenant Garrett Glaviano presented the department's annual report on military equipment use for FY2024-25, as required by California AB 481. The report covers the Police Department's equipment funding, acquisition, and use policies — including policies governing unmanned aerial systems (drones) and unmanned ground vehicles. No members of the public spoke. The Council renewed the governing ordinance with no dissent.
Vote: Carried 7-0 (moved by Councilmember Shribbs, seconded by Councilmember Cader Thompson)
Meridian at Petaluma North Station Affordable Housing Project — AHSC Grant & Fee Loan (Items 12 & 13)
These two items were presented jointly by City Attorney Eric Danly, Community Development Director Brian Oh, and Housing Manager Karen Shimizu. No members of the public spoke.
Item 12 authorized the City Manager to submit amended grant agreements with Danco Communities and SMART (Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit) for the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Program to support the Meridian project at 890 North McDowell Boulevard, located near the North Petaluma SMART station.
Item 13 addressed a new loan option for development impact fees. The Council amended several existing fee resolutions — covering city facilities, parkland, open space, and traffic impact fees — to allow certain city-supported affordable housing projects to defer fee payment through a loan rather than paying upfront. The Council then immediately applied this new loan option to the Danco Meridian project specifically, adopting a separate resolution to that effect.
These actions help make the Meridian affordable housing development financially viable by reducing the immediate cash burden of development fees.
Vote on Resolution No. 2025-121 (AHSC grant amendment): Carried 7-0
Vote on Resolution No. 2025-122 (fee loan policy): Carried 7-0
Vote on Resolution No. 2025-123 (applying fee loan to Meridian project): Carried 7-0
*(All three moved by Councilmember Barnacle, seconded by Councilmember Cader Thompson)*
The meeting adjourned at 12:31 a.m.
Key Takeaways
AI-generated summary from voice-to-text transcript. Not the official record. Verify important details with the source documents linked above.
Agenda items (13)
Additional votes recorded in minutes
Consent Calendar Items 2-9 (excluding Item 6)
Item 6 - Resolution Authorizing the Purchase of Synthetic Turf Materials
Urgency Ordinance
First Reading of Regular Ordinance
Military Equipment Report
Items 12, 13A, and 13B
Verbatim transcript available
6 transcript segments indexed